Household Water Quality - Water Hardness
Authors: Amber Wilson, Extension Associate, Management, Housing and Consumer Education; Kathleen Parrott, Extension Specialist, Housing; Blake Ross, Extension Specialist, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech
Publication Number 356-490, posted June 1999
Hardness in water is the most common water quality problem reported by U.S. consumers. In fact, hard water is found in more than 85 percent of the United States. Hard water occurs when excess minerals in the water create certain nuisance problems. While these water problems can be frustrating, water hardness is not a safety issue. Hard water is safe for drinking, cooking, and other household uses.
Hard water can cause several problems for consumers including decreased life of household plumbing and water-using appliances, increased difficulty in cleaning and laundering tasks, decreased efficiency of water heaters, and white/chalky deposits on items such as plumbing, tubs, sinks, and pots and pans. Consequently, it is no surprise that according to the 1997 National Water Quality Survey, one out of five Americans surveyed is dissatisfied with the quality of his/her household water supply.
Causes of Hard Water
Approximately 22 percent of the earth's fresh water is ground water, and naturally, as it flows through soil and rock, it picks up minerals. Hard water results when an excessive amount of calcium and magnesium are present. Total hardness is measured in grains per gallonof water (gpg) or milligrams per liter (mg/l). Grains per gallon (gpg) is a unit of weight for a volume of water, as is milligrams per liter (mg/l). Sometimes hardness is measured in parts per million (ppm). Parts per million (ppm) measures the unit(s) of a substance for every one million units of water. Milligrams per liter (mg/l) and parts per million (ppm) are roughly equal in water analysis. One gpg (1gpg) is equivalent to 17.1 ppm or mg/l. When conducting chemical analysis, laboratories usually measure hardness minerals in either grains per gallon (gpg) or milligrams per liter (mg/l). You can evaluate the hardness of your water supply by referring to the following chart.
Parts Per
Million
(ppm) Rating
less than 17.1 Soft
17.1 - 60 Slightly Hard
60 - 120 Moderately Hard
120 - 180 Hard
over 180 Very Hard